GOP: Dems' healthcare plan more of same

WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 (UPI) -- House Democrats did not listen to the American people when developing the healthcare reform bill unveiled Thursday, House Minority Leader John Boehner said.

"(The) American people let members of Congress from both sides of the aisle know that they wanted no part of a government-run healthcare plan," Boehner said, offering the Republican response to the Democratic proposal. "But nothing really has changed over these last couple of months, and yet the Democrats come forward with a bill that really is a government takeover of our healthcare system."

He urged listeners to visit the Web site healthcare.gop.gov "to see the solutions that we've been promoting to make our current healthcare system work better."

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., said any healthcare reform must meet three tests.

"Does it improve health in America? Does it lower costs for small businesses and families? And does it help our vulnerable?" McMorris Rogers said. "This ... bill fails this test."

Boehner said Republicans didn't object to the bill solely on the public health insurance option.

"It's the over 50 new mandates, bureaucracies, tax hikes, commissions, all of this is going to require tens of thousands of new federal employees, which is clearly designed for a government takeover of our healthcare system," he said.